Companies associated with the Russian FSB espionage group Sernia have resumed purchasing equipment from the German instrument manufacturer Heller Tools.
Points of attention
- Russian companies linked to the FSS espionage group “Sernia” are involved in smuggling to procure equipment from the German manufacturer Heller Tools.
- The FSSspy group “Sernia” was formed to circumvent Western sanctions and acquire equipment for the Russian defense industry, utilizing illegal channels for procurement.
- Journalists reveal connections between Russian companies and the FSB spy group, highlighting attempts to purchase military technologies through smuggling routes.
- The EU and US have imposed sanctions on companies and individuals involved in the illicit procurement of equipment, showcasing the international repercussions of these actions.
- Cases of contraband purchases, such as a Moscow company acquiring equipment worth $860,000 and subsequent sales to another Russian entity, illustrate the extent of the smuggling network.
What is known about the contraband purchase of equipment by Russia in Germany
It is noted that German Heller Tools sold drills and other equipment to Russian companies for $1.2 million.
Journalists of the publication, referring to data from the US Ministry of Justice, emphasize that the FSS spy group "Sernia" was created to evade Western sanctions and obtain equipment for the Russian defense industry.
In particular, after the criminal invasion of the Russian army into Ukraine in 2022 and until June 2023, the Heller company sold $860,000 worth of equipment to a Moscow company called Treydtuls Trading House.
Equipment supplies were stopped in June 2023, but as early as August of this year, the German company began selling equipment to another Russian company, Tireks.
She was sold equipment for another 300,000 dollars.
Construction tools sold by Heller, such as steel or masonry saws and drills, were not included in the EU's export control lists until December 2023.
However, later they were included in the list.
According to the journalists of the publication, Tireks was founded in June 2023 by former shareholder and employee of "Treydtuls" Artem Klymenko.
Journalists discovered the connections of "Treydtuls" with the Russian company Robin Trade, which American investigators called a cover for the company "Sernia Engineering".
Both companies belonged to businessman Oleksiy Zibirov.
Serniya Engineering and Robin Trade were hit by EU sanctions in 2022. Among the clients of the Sernia network are the Ministry of Defense, the state defense conglomerate Rostec, and the state nuclear energy giant Rosatom.
It is noted that Klymenko replaced Zibirov as CEO of one of the Russian import companies shortly after the introduction of sanctions against Robin Trade in 2022.
What is known about other contraband purchases of Russian companies
Another company, Finch Impex, imported $2.2 million worth of equipment and other goods, mostly from Taiwan and China.
We are talking about parts for oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers, which are on the "high priority" list of controlled export goods.
In 2022, the US Department of Justice indicted five individuals associated with Sernia for conspiring to acquire military and dual-use technologies for Russian defense companies. Among them was Vadym Konoshchenok, who was detained by Estonian border guards with "35 different types of semiconductors ... as well as thousands of American 6.5 mm bullets used in military sniper rifles."
